Marathi films may not get more grants

MUMBAI: A proposal moved by the cultural department to raise the grant provided as aid for Marathi films was turned down by the finance department, citing a cash crunch.

The cultural department proposed to raise the grant by Rs5 lakh each for films in categories A and B, in order to take it to Rs35 lakh and Rs30 lakh respectively. It also proposed other sops, which could have increased the burden on the state coffer by another Rs5 crore, from the current allocation of approximately Rs4.5 crore.

Not only did the finance department reject the proposal, but also suggested the scheme be scrapped gradually.

The additional sops in the proposal included increasing grant of aid by Rs5 lakh, beginning the grant from the first film of any production instead of the second and providing a one-time grant to all films released this year, in order to commemorate the centenary of Indian cinema.

If these sops are provided, it was an estimated addition of Rs5 crore on state exchequer. The department rejected the proposal and said the government spends Rs150 crore annually on various schemes for the cultural department and that an additional burden was uncalled for.

However, cultural affairs minister Sanjay Devtale said the proposal had not been rejected. “The finance department has raised certain queries to which we will reply. I have also spoken to Ajit Pawar and I am sure the proposal will be passed,” Devtale said.

According to sources in the finance department, no grant should last too long. “The grant was started to give a boost to Marathi cinema, which was in bad shape about a decade ago. The department feels the industry should not be surviving on government assistance,” the official said.

Prasad Surve, former president of Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal, said, “Though the proposal has been held, it has not been completely rejected. We will meet the finance minister and convince for the additional provisions.” On Tuesday, Congress’ Rashid Masood became the first MP to lose his seat after the July 10 Supreme Court verdict, which mandates immediate disqualification of convicted legislators, when he was sentenced to four years in jail. The Ranchi court had on September 30 convicted 45 accused in the fodder scam case — related to the fraudulent withdrawal of R37.70 crore from the Chaibasa treasury in 1994-95 — and sentenced eight to three years’ rigorous imprisonment. It pronounced sentences ranging from four to five years for the remaining 37 on Thursday.

Of the 53 fodder scam cases transferred from Bihar to Jharkhand, this is the 45th one to have been disposed of. Lalu still has five more cases pending.

The Bihar strongman was the last of the 37 to face the judge. On hearing the sentence, he said, “Justice hasn’t been done. The person who initiated the probe in the matter was made an accused. Baseless allegations were levelled against me ” Earlier

tended there had been no criminal charge against Lalu since 1995 and pleaded for a maximum sentence of three years, citing health issues. “He has served as railway minister and handled crores for the railway budget. In the last 18 years, his conduct has never been dishonest.”

Rigorous imprisonment implies the convict has to work on a mandatory basis after passing a medical exam. The work assigned could be anything, from kitchen chores to gardening, for which they receive Rs90-100 per day. This differs from simple imprisonment in which the convict gets to choose whether he wants to work.

The new state of Telangana will get the jewel in the crown, Hyderabad, but Seemandhra will be entitled to use the IT hub as its capital for 10 years till it builds its own, a government source said. “Hyderabad will function as a common capital for both states for 10 years,” home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said.

This is the formal first step taken to create India’s 29th state after the July 30 resolution of the

ing the government to accept the 45-year-old statehood demand.

The decision seems to have been driven by YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy’s surge in Seemandhra (coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema), which has already squeezed the Congress out of the region, leaving it with little choice but to consolidate its support base in Telangana — which sends 17 MPS to the Lok Sabha.

In an official statement, the Centre said it had constituted a group of ministers to work out the modalities and pledged to come up with measures to ensure the safety and security of residents “of all regions of the state, including the guarantee of fundamental rights”.

Soon after, the home ministry sent an advisory to the state government to deploy adequate forces to handle anti-bifurcation protests.

Anti-telangana protesters gathered outside the PM’S residence and broke the security barricade. They were bundled away by the police subsequently. Their counterparts in Hyderabad called for a 48-hour shutdown of 13 districts that have been agitating since the Congress decision on July 30

as TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao, welcomed the decision. Pro statehood Congress MLA Bhatt Vikramarka said, “This shows the Congress and our chief Sonia Gandhi commit to their word.”

Congress leaders suggested the UPA had already antagonised the pro-united Andhra lobby and could end up losing Telangana’s support too if it didn’t move fast enough. It was this apprehension that guided the Congress away from according Hyderabad union territory status to balance out the anger against splitting Andhra.

Following Rahul’s publicly articu lated objections, the government on Wednesday decided to with draw the ordinance and a similar bill pending in the Rajya Sabha.

The Congress leader began his tour of BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s home state with a visit to Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. After spending half an hour there, he wrote in the visi tor’s book: “It’s always an honour for me to come to the ashram. I am a follower of Gandhi and his ideas